Elevator



F. P. SHARPE May 7, 1957 ELEVATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 50, 1953 INVENTOR.

'FREDERICK P. SHARPE ATTORNEYS y 7, 1957 F. P.5HARPE 2,791,319

ELEVATOR Filed April 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

FREDERICK P.SHARPE 25 44 44 5 VBY ATTO R N EYS y 7, 1957 F. P. SHARPE 2,791,319

' ELEVATOR Filed April 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i Z// XXV/A INVENTOR.

FREDERICK RSHARPE ATTORNEYS ELEVATOR Frederick P. Sharpe, Dearborn, Mich., assignor to Kelsey- Hayes Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 30, 1953, Serial No. 352,149

8 Claims. (Cl. 198225) The invention relates to elevators and refers more particularly to elevators for annular articles.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an elevator employing a fluid pressure operated cylinder for raising the articles a distance appreciably greater than the stroke of the piston of the cylinder.

The invention has for another object to provide an elevator constructed to raise the articles step by step enabling the use of a fluid pressure operated cylinder in which the piston has a stroke which is relatively small as compared to the distance the articles may be raised.

The invention has for a further object to provide an elevator having a guide for the articles which is adjustable to take care of articles of different widths.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an elevator embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the elevator;

Figure 3 is a front view;

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections on the lines 44, 5-5, 66 and 77 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

The elevator illustrated in the present instance is designed to raise annular rim blanks and, in general, comprises a guide for the rim blanks and mechanism for raising the rim blanks step by step.

The guide is formed of two units, '1 and 2, one of which is adjustably mounted on the other toa'ccommodate rim blanks of different widths. The unit 1 comprises the back plate 3, the side plate 4 extending longitudinally of and at a right angle to the back plate 3 and the bottom bar 5 which extends transversely of and at a right angle to both the back plate 3 and side plate 4, the plates and bar being fixedly secured to each other as by being welded together. The unit 2 comprises the back plate 6, the side plate 7 extending longitudinally of and at a right angle to the back plate 6 and the bottom bar 8, which extends transversely of and at a right angle to both the back plate 6 and side plate 7, the plates and bar being fixedly secured to each other as by being welded together. For carrying the unit 2 by the unit 1 with the back plates 3 and 6 in the same plane, and the bottom bars 5 and '8 in the same plane, "I have provided the straps 9 extending transversely of and between the back plates 3 and 6. These straps are fixedly secured to the rear face of the back plate 3 as by being welded thereto, and are adjustably secured to the rear face of the back plate 6 by means of the bolts 10, which extend through the longitudinal slots 11 in the straps and are threaded into the back pl-ate6.

For reinforcing the side plate 7, I have provided the longitudinally extending angle bar '12 having one flange fixedly secured to the outer side of the side plate-adja- States Patent 0 iatented. May 7 1957 cent to its front edge. To facilitate holding the rim blanks in the guide adjacent to the side plate 4, I have provided the guide plate 13 laterally a-djustably mounted on the angle bar 12 and having its inner edge engageable with the rim blanks. The guide plate has the transverse slots 14 for receiving the bolts 15 which are threaded in nuts preferably welded to the angle bar flange at right angles to the side plate 7. The guide plate has the flared guide 16 secured to its front side as being welded thereto. The flared guide is located at the lower end portion of the guide plate and is positioned to engage the rim blanks rolling over the bottom bars '5 and '8 adjacent to but below the centers or axes of the rim blanks.

The side plate 7 is provided at its lower end and below the guide plate 13 with the forward extension 17. The side plate 4 is also provided with the like forward extension 18 at its lower end. The extensions 17 and 1'8 are preferably plates welded to the front edges of the side plates 7 and 4 and the adjacent sides of the bottom bars 8 and 5 which are extended forwardly to engage the rim blanks discharged to the elevator and to support these rim blanks while they are rolling rearwardly against the back plates 3 and 6. As shown, the rim blanks are discharged from the rim blank fashioning apparatus A of my application Serial No. 348,249, filed April 13, 1953, and now Patent No. 2,728,383.

With the above construct-ion the two units, 1 and 2, form a channel-shaped guide in which the back plates and side plates form the backs and sides of the channel.

The side plate 4 has secured to its outer side the spaced longitudinally extending spacer bars 19 which, in turn, have secured to their outer sides the longitudinally extending cover plate 20. The spacer bars and cover plate reinforce the side plate and together with the side plate are fixedly secured to the base 21 as by being welded thereto, with the back plates 3 and 6 inclined upwardly and rearwardly so that the rim blanks remain in engagement with and move along these back plates.

The spacer bars 19 carry the dogs 22 arranged in pairs and spaced longitudinally of the spacer bars. Each of the bars has the longitudinally spaced recesses or grooves 23 for receiving the dogs, the recesses or grooves in one bar being opposite the recesses or grooves in the other bar. These recesses or grooves extend transversely through the spacer bars from their inner faces to their outer faces. Each of the dogs has the body 24, the inwardly inclined nose 25 at its upper end, the depending projection 26 and the outwardly extending projection 27. Each of the dogs is journalled on the pivot pin 28 extending transversely of a spacer bar, the pivot pin extending through the lower portion of the body 24 above the projections 26 and 27. The side plate 4 is provided with the pairs of longitudinally extending slots 29 through which the noses 25 of the dogs are adapted to extend under the influence of the tension coil spring 30 having their lower ends connected to the projections 27, and their upper ends connected to the pins 31 which extend transversely from the spacer bars into the recesses or grooves. The springs 30 are located within the recesses or grooves 23. To limit the inward movement of the noses 25, I have provided the stop pins 32 extending transversely from the spacer bars into the recesses or grooves and engageable with the depending projections 26. The upper ends of the noses 25 of the dogs 24 are adapted to engage the lower portions of the flanges of the rim blanks adjacent the side plate 4 at peripherally spaced points.- The dogs are spaced from each other longitudinally of the spacer bars a distance greater than the maximum diameter of the rim blanks, so that a rim blank resting upon one pair of dogs clears the next upper pair of dogs. Furthermore, the lower pair of dogs is positioned above the bottom bars the same distance so that a rim blank resting upon the bottom bars clears the lower pair of the dogs.

To raise the rim blanks, I have provided the fluid pressure operated cylinder 33, the raising bar 34 connected to the-piston 35 of the cylinder and the pivotal dogs 36 upon the raising bar and engageable with the lower portions of the flanges of the rim blanks adjacent the side plate 4 between the points of engagement by the dogs 22 and at substantially the same distance from the back plates 3 and 6 a the centers or axes of the rim blanks. The fluid pressure operated cylinder is n double-acting air cylinder'in which the piston has a predetermined stroke which is greaterthan the spacing between adjacent pairs of the dogs 22. This cylinder extends longitudinally and is secured to-the outer face of the cover plate in by the brackets -37'at theuper and lower ends of re cylinder. The raising bar 34 is guided by the side plate 4, the spacer bars 19 and-the cover plate 2%), and is connected to the piston rod 33 by the bracket 39 which extends through the longitudinal slot 4% in the cover plate, the slot being sufficiently long to accommodate the bracket throughout the stroke of the piston. The raising bar 34 has the rectangular recesses or openings 41 between and spaced from its sides for receiving the dogs 36. The recesses or openings extend longitudinally of the raising bar and transversely through the same from its inner face to its outer 'face. The construction of each of the dogs 36 is the same as that of each of the dogs 22, and each of the dogs 36 is journalled on the pivot pin 42 extending between the portions 43 of the raising bar at the sides of the recesses or openings. The side plate 4 is provided with the longitudinally extending slot 44 through which the noses of the dogs '36 are adapted to extend, this slot extending upwardly from below the bottom bar to an elevation sufiicient to provide for movement of the uppermost dog 36 to its upper limit of movement. The bottom bar 5 is provided with the transverse opening 45 to permit the passage of the nose of the lower dog 36. The dogs 36 are resiliently urged in a direction about their pivot pins 42 to move their noses through the slot 44 by the coil springs 46 and the swinging of the dogs under the influence of the coil springs 46 is limited by the stop pins 47. The arrangement including the coil spring and the stop pins is the same as that of the coil springs 30 and the stop pins 32.

48 is a chute for receiving the rim blanks after they have been raised to their uppermost positions. This chute extends transversely from and is secured to the guide, the bottom bars 49 of the chute being fixedly secured to the upper ends of the back plates 3 and 6, and the side plates 50 being fixedly secured to the side plates 4 and 7. In both instances the securing is eiiected preferably by welding the parts together. By reason of the guide being inclined upwardly and rearwardly, the rim blanks upon passing upwardly beyond the back plates roll ofi the upper dog 36 into the chute.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the positions shown in the drawings, with the lower dog 36 below the top of the bottom bar 5 and the nose of this lower dog extending into the transverse opening 45, when compressed air is admitted into the lower end of the air cylinder 33 the piston 35 is raised to raise the raising bar 34 in full stroke of the piston, thereby moving the dogs 36 upwardly to points with the upper ends of their noses above the upper ends of the noses of the next upper pair of dogs 22. During this upward movement the rim blanks carried by the dogs 36 move the noses of the next upper pair of dogs 22 outwardly and after the rim blanks have passed upwardly beyond these noses, the dogs 22 again swing inwardly. The rim blank upon the upper dog 36 rolls off this upper dog into the chute 48, when the rim blank is raised above the back plates 3 and 6. Then, when compressed airis admitted into the upper end of the air cylinder and the air in the lower end of the air cylinder is permitted to exhaust, the piston 35 is moved downwardly and lowers the raising bar 34 and the dogs 36 to allow the rim blanks thereon to engage the upper ends of the noses of the dogs 22. Then the dogs 36 are swung outwardly by the rim blanks so that their noses pass these rim blanks, after which the noses again are resiliently forced inwardly and the parts are returned to the positions shown.

What I claim my invention is:

1. An elevator for articles comprising an upright guide for the articles having a back and spaced sides, one of said sides having longitudinally spaced openings and a longitudinally extending slot, spaced spacer bars extending longitudinally of and secured to said last mentioned side and carrying dogs normally extending through said openings, a cover plate extending longitudinally of and secured to said spacer bars and having a longitudinally extending slot, at raising bar guided by said last mentioned side, spacer bars and cover and carrying raising dogs normally extending through said slot in said last mentioned side, a fluid pressure operated cylinder extending longitudinally of and mounted on said cover plate, and albracket secured to said raising bar and extending through said slot in said cover plate and operatively connected to the piston of said cylinder.

2. An elevator for articles comprising a base, an upright guide for the articles having a unit mounted on said base and provided with a back plate and a side plate, a second unit provided with a back plate in the plane of the first-mentioned back plate and a side plate opposed to the first-mentioned side plate, means for laterally adjustabiy mounting said second unit on said first-mentioned unit, a guide member laterally adjustablymounted on said side plate of said second unit, and means-forraising the articles in said guide.

3. An elevator for articles comprising a base, an upright guide for the articles having a unit mounted on said base and provided with a back plate and a side plate, a second unit provided with a back plate in the plane of the first-mentioned back plate and a side plate opposed to the first-rnentioned side plate, means for laterally adjustably mounting said second unit on said first-mentioned unit, a reinforcing bar extending longitudinally of and secured to the outer side of said side plate of said second unit, a guide member laterally adjustably secured to said reinforcing bar, and means on one of said units for raising the articles in said guide.

4. An elevator for articles comprising a base, an upright unit mounted on said base provided with angularly related integral back and side plates, 21 coverplate at one side of said side plate, laterally spaced spacer bars between and secured to said side plate and cover plate and cooperating with said cover plate to reinforce said side plate, a second-upright unit mounted on said first-mentioned unit at the other side of said side plate and provided with angularly related integral back and side plates, said-units forming a guide for the articles of generally channel shapewith the back plates in a common plane and-the side plates opposing each other, and means for raising'the articles in said guide comprising at raising bar confined bet-ween and guided by said first-mentioned side plate,-said spacer bars and said cover plate.

5. An'elevator for articles comprising an upright guide for articles, said guide having a side plate provided with longitudinally spaced openings and a longitudinallyextending slot, spaced spacer bars extending longitudinally of and'secured to said side plate, dogs carried by said bars and normally extending through said openings, a cover plate extending longitudinally of and secured to said spacer bars, a raising bar confined between and guided by said side plate, spacer bars and cover plate for movement longitudinally thereof, means for thus moving said raising bar, and dogs carried by said raising bar normally extending through said slot.

.6. 'An elevator as defined in claim 5 in which said meanscompris'es a motor mounted on said cover plate,

a slot in said cover plate, and means operatively connecting said motor and raising bar through said last-mentioned slot.

7. In an elevator for articles, an upright guide having a side plate provided with longitudinally spaced openings and a longitudinally extending slot, a bar extending longitudinally of and secured to said side plate, dogs carried by said bar and having noses normally extending through said openings, a raising bar adjacent said side plate and first-mentioned bar, dogs carried by said raising bar and having noses normally extending through said slot, and means for moving said raising bar upwardly and downwardly.

8. In an elevator for articles, an upright guide having a side plate provided with longitudinally spaced openings and a longitudinally extending slot, laterally spaced spacer bars extending longitudinally of and secured to said side plates, dogs carried by said bars normally extending through said openings, a raising bar closely confined be tween said spacer bars and movable longitudinally relative thereto, raising dogs carried by said raising bar normally extending through said slot, and means for moving said raising bar longitudinally of and relative to said slot,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,345 Boulton June 12, 1888 2,004,349 Schwab June 11, 1935 2,169,973 Davies Aug. 15, 1939 2,556,100 Nanninga June 5, 1951 2,650,696 Gedris Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,336 Great Britain May 27, 1920 

